Camellia plant named ‘Green 99-012’

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct cultivar of  Camellia  plant named ‘Green 99-012’, characterized by its compact and upright plant habit; freely branching habit; freely flowering habit; relatively long flowering period; and double white-colored flowers tinted with red purple.

Botanical designation: Camellia sasanqua.

Cultivar denomination: ‘Green 99-012’.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present Invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Camellia, botanically known as Camellia sasanqua, and hereinafter referred to by the name ‘Green 99-012’.

The new Camellia is a product of a planned breeding program conducted by the Inventor in Fairhope, Ala. The objective of the breeding program is to create new compact and freely flowering Camellia cultivars having unique and attractive flower color and flower for an extended period of time.

The new Camellia originated from an open-pollination in 1998, in Fairhope, Ala., of Camellia sasanqua ‘Stephanie Golden’, not patented, as the female, or seed, parent with an unknown selection of Camellia sasanqua, as the male, or pollen, parent. The new Camellia was discovered and selected by the Inventor as a flowering plant within the progeny of the stated open-pollination in a controlled outdoor nursery environment in Fairhope, Ala. in November, 2002.

Asexual reproduction of the new Camellia by terminal cuttings taken in a controlled greenhouse environment in Fairhope, Ala. since August, 2004, has shown that the unique features of this new Camellia are stable and reproduced true to type in successive generations.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Plants of the new Camellia have not been observed under all possible environmental conditions. The phenotype may vary somewhat with variations in environment such as temperature and light intensity without, however, any variance in genotype. The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined to be the unique characteristics of ‘Green 99-012’. These characteristics in combination distinguish ‘Green 99-012’ as a new and distinct cultivar of Camellia:

-   -   1. Compact and upright plant habit.     -   2. Freely branching habit.     -   3. Freely flowering habit.     -   4. Relatively long flowering period.     -   5. Double white-colored flowers tinted with red purple.

Plants of the new Camellia differ from plants of the female parent, ‘Stephanie Golden’, primarily in flower color as plants of ‘Stephanie Golden’ have red purple-colored flowers.

Plants of the new Camellia can be compared to the plants of Camellia sasanqua ‘Snow Flurry’, not patented. In side-by-side comparisons conducted in Fairhope, Ala., plants of the new Camellia differed from plants of the ‘Snow Flurry’ in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Camellia were more upright than plants of         ‘Snow Flurry’.     -   2. Plants of the new Camellia had darker green-colored leaves         than plants of ‘Snow Flurry’.     -   3. Plants of the new Camellia and ‘Snow Flurry’ differed in         flower color as plants of ‘Snow Flurry’ had pure white-colored         flowers.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPHS

The accompanying colored photographs illustrate the overall appearance of the new Camellia. These photographs show the colors as true as it is reasonably possible to obtain in colored reproductions of this type. Colors in the photographs may differ slightly from the color values cited in the detailed botanical description, which accurately describe the colors of the new Camellia. The photograph on the first sheet comprises a side perspective view of a typical plant of ‘Green 99-012’ grown in an outdoor nursery. The photograph on the second sheet is a close-up view of a typical flower of ‘Green 99-012’.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

The aforementioned photographs and following observations and measurements describe plants grown in Fairhope, Ala. in containers in an outdoor nursery during the autumn and under commercial production conditions. During the production of the plants, day temperatures averaged 24° C. and night temperatures averaged 7° C. Plants were grown under 30% polypropylene shadecloth. Plants used for the photographs were eight years from planting, and plants used for the description were 30 months from planting. In the following description, color references are made to The Royal Horticultural Society Colour Chart, Fifth Edition, except where general terms of ordinary dictionary significance are used.

-   Botanical classification: Camellia sasanqua ‘Green 99-012’. -   Parentage:     -   -   Female, or seed, parent.—Camellia sasanqua ‘Stephanie             Golden’, not patented.         -   Male, or pollen, parent.—Unknown selection of Camellia             sasanqua, not patented. -   Propagation:     -   -   Type.—By vegetative cuttings.         -   Time to initiate roots, summer.—About two months at             temperatures of 27° C. to 35° C.         -   Time to initiate roots, winter.—About three months at             temperatures of 21° C. to 27° C.         -   Time to produce a rooted young plant, summer.—About four             months at temperatures of 27° C. to 35° C.         -   Time to produce a rooted young plant, winter.—About five             months at temperatures of 21° C. to 27° C.         -   Root description.—Fibrous; close to 164B in color.         -   Rooting habit.—Moderate branching; moderately dense. -   Plant description:     -   -   Plant form and growth habit.—Perennial, evergreen shrub;             compact and upright plant habit; moderately vigorous growth             habit. Densely foliated; compact, dense and bushy plants.             Freely flowering habit with numerous double flowers per             plant.         -   Branching habit.—Freely branching habit; about 18 to 24             lateral branches develop per plant. Pinching enhances             lateral branch development.         -   Plant height, soil level to top of flowers.—About 61 cm to             71 cm.         -   Plant diameter, area of spread.—About 30 cm.         -   Lateral branch description.—Length: About 13 cm to 20 cm.             Diameter: About 3 mm. Internode length: About 2.5 cm to             7.5 cm. Strength: Moderately strong. Texture: Slightly             pubescent. Color: Close to 197A.         -   Foliage description.—Arrangement: Alternate, single. Length:             About 4.5 cm to 5 cm. Width: About 3 cm. Shape: Ovate to             elliptic. Apex: Acute. Base: Obtuse. Margin: Crenate.             Venation pattern: Pinnate. Texture, upper and lower             surfaces: Smooth, glabrous. Color: Developing leaves, upper             surface: Initially close to 146A becoming closer to N137A             with development. Developing leaves, lower surface: Close to             146B. Fully expanded leaves, upper surface: Close to N189A;             venation, close to 138B. Fully expanded leaves, lower             surface: Close to N137B; venation, close to 144A.         -   Petiole: Length: About 4 mm. Diameter: About 1.6 mm.             Texture, upper and lower surfaces: Smooth, glabrous. Color,             upper surface: Close to 146B. Color, lower surface: Close to             144A. -   Flower description:     -   -   Natural flowering season.—Plants of the new Camellia             typically flower throughout the autumn and early winter in             Fairhope, Ala. Flowers not persistent.         -   Flower arrangement and appearance.—Flowers arranged singly             at terminals with usually about six to eight flowers and             flower buds per apex; freely flowering habit. Flowers face             upward or outward. Flowers rotate and rose-like; double             flower form with numerous petals and petaloids per flower.             Flowers sessile.         -   Postproduction longevity.—Plants maintain good flower             substance for about one week on the plant.         -   Fragrance.—None detected.         -   Flower diameter.—About 7.5 cm.         -   Flower depth.—About 4 cm.         -   Flower bud.—Length: About 1.75 cm. Diameter: About 1 cm.             Shape: Ovoid. Color: Close to 63B towards the apex, close to             69B.         -   Petals/petaloids.—Arrangement: Double flower form; about 17             to 20 petals and petaloids arranged in multiple whorls.             Length: About 2.2 cm to 4.6 cm. Width: About 1.8 cm to             3.8 cm. Shape: Obcordate. Apex: Retuse. Base: Acute to             acuminate or rounded. Margin: Entire or irregularly lobed;             undulate. Texture, upper and lower surfaces: Smooth,             glabrous; waxy. Color: When opening, upper and lower             surfaces: Close to NN155D; outer petals tinted with close to             63C; towards the base, close to 49C. Fully opened, upper and             lower surfaces: Close to NN155D; outer petals tinted with             close to 63D; towards the base, close to 49D.         -   Sepals.—Arrangement: About six fused in a single whorl.             Length: About 0.8 cm to 1.3 cm. Width: About 7 mm. Shape:             Orbicular. Apex: Retuse. Base: Obtuse. Margin: Entire.             Texture, upper surface: Glabrous. Texture, lower surface:             Tomentose. Color, upper surface: Close to 144C. Color, lower             surface: Close to 144B.         -   Reproductive organs.—Androecium: Quantity per flower:             About 48. Filament length: About 1.5 cm to 2 cm. Filament             color: Close to 4C. Anther shape: Ovate. Anther length:             About 3 mm to 4 mm. Anther color: Close to 4B. Pollen             amount: Moderate. Pollen color: Close to 14B. Gynoecium:             Quantity of pistils per flower: Typically one. Pistil             length: About 0.8 cm to 1.5 cm. Style length: About 1.2 cm.             Style color: Close to 1C. Stigma shape: Bi-parted. Stigma             color: Close to 142B. Ovary color: Close to 2C.         -   Fruits.—Length: About 1.25 cm. Diameter: About 1.25 cm.             Color: Close to N200A.         -   Seeds.—Length: About 1 cm. Diameter: About 1 cm. Color:             Close to N200A. -   Weather/temperature tolerance: Plants of the new Camellia have been     observed to be tolerant to rain and wind and to tolerate     temperatures from about −23° C. to about 49° C. -   Disease/pest resistance: Plants have been observed to be resistant     to Glomerella cingulata. Plants of the new Camellia have not been     observed to be resistant to pests and other pathogens common to     Camellias. 

1. A new and distinct cultivar of Camellia plant named ‘Green 99-012’ as illustrated and described. 